Description

ANDRÉ GRESSE (LYON, FRANCE, 23 MARCH, 1868 – PARIS, FRANCE, 19 FEBRUARY, 1937)

 

 

 

 

He was the son of the bass Léon Gresse, who was active at the Paris Grand Opéra. André Gresse originally wanted to become a painter and attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. However, in 1893, he began studying singing at the Paris Conservatory under Taskin, Melchissédec, and Duvernoy. He made his debut in 1896 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, with Victor Maurel singing the title role. At the Opéra-Comique, he performed roles such as Gaveston in Boieldieu’s La Dame Blanche and Samba-Hamet in Lucien Lambert’s Le Spahi.

When his father retired from the Grand Opéra in 1900, André Gresse succeeded him, beginning with the role of Saint Bris in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. He remained one of the most prominent singers at the Grand Opéra until 1930. On February 10, 1910, at the Monte Carlo Opera House, he created the role of Sancho Panza in the premiere of Massenet’s Don Quichotte, with Feodor Chaliapin as Don Quichotte. He also participated in the premieres of Massenet’s Sapho (Opéra-Comique, November 27, 1897, as Césaire), Camille Erlanger’s Le Juif Polonais (Opéra-Comique, April 11, 1900), Massenet’s Bacchus (Grand Opéra, May 2, 1909), Georges Hüe’s Le Miracle (Grand Opéra, December 30, 1910), and Alfred Bachelet’s Scemo (Grand Opéra, May 6, 1914).

At the Grand Opéra, Gresse also performed in the premieres of several Wagner operas, including the roles of Fasolt (Das Rheingold, 1909), Titurel (Parsifal, 1914), and King Marke (Tristan und Isolde, 1904, following the French premiere at the Nouveau Théâtre in Paris in 1899). He was especially renowned for his portrayal of Mephisto in Gounod’s Faust, a role he performed for about thirty years at the Grand Opéra. Gresse retired from the stage in 1930 and went on to teach at the Paris Conservatory, where one of his notable pupils was the baritone Martial Singher.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Air de la calomnie 2-32695 1489F G&T, Paris 1903
2. Charles VI (Halévy) Halte aux tyrans 7213 Disque Idéal
3. Faust (Gounod) Allons, Siébel (w. Noté, Beyle & d’Elty) 1641 Pathé, Paris 1912
4. Faust (Gounod) Anges purs (w. Demougeot & Affre) 34035 3157F G&T, Paris 1904
5. Faust (Gounod) Apothéose… Quittons ce lieu sombre (w. Beyle & Campredon) 1649 Pathé, Paris 1912
6. Faust (Gounod) Attends! (w. Beyle & Campredon) 1649 Pathé, Paris 1912
7. Faust (Gounod) De l’enfer qui vient émousser nos armes (w. Noté, Dupré & d’Elty) 1628 Pathé, Paris 1912
8. Faust (Gounod) D’où vient ta surprise (w. Beyle) 1624 Pathé, Paris 1912
9. Faust (Gounod) Duo act 1, pt 2 (w. Beyle & chorus) 34128 4690o G&T, Paris 1905
10. Faust (Gounod) Eh quoi! toujours seule (w. Campredon, Goulancourt & Beyle) 1635 Pathé, Paris 1912
11. Faust (Gounod) En garde!… et défends-toi! (w. Noté, Campredon & d’Elty) 1643 Pathé, Paris 1912
12. Faust (Gounod) Entrée de Méphisto pt 2 (w. Vaguet) 3759 Pathé, cylinders & discs, Paris 1902/1903
13. Faust (Gounod) Entrée de Méphisto, pt 1 (w. Vaguet) 3758 Pathé, cylinders & discs, Paris 1902/1903
14. Faust (Gounod) Évocation X-82493 Zonophone, Paris 1905
15. Faust (Gounod) Félicité du ciel (w. Campredon & Beyle) 1637 Pathé, Paris 1912
16. Faust (Gounod) La voici!… C’est elle! (w. Campredon, d’Elty & Beyle) 1629 Pathé, Paris 1912
17. Faust (Gounod) Le veau d’or with chorus 34669 4445o G&T, Paris 1905
18. Faust (Gounod) Marguerite! (w. Beyle & Campredon) 1648 Pathé, Paris 1912
19. Faust (Gounod) Nous nous rétrouverons (w. Beyle & d’Elty) 1629 Pathé, Paris 1912
20. Faust (Gounod) O coupe des aïeux (w. Beyle) 1624 Pathé, Paris 1912
21. Faust (Gounod) O sainte médaille (w. Noté, Dupré & d’Elty)1627 Pathé, Paris 1912
22. Faust (Gounod) Quand du Seigneur le jour luira (w. Campredon) 1640 Pathé, Paris 1912